Electrically-operated automatic winding device



1 I Apnl 927 M. YOKOYAMA ELECTRICALLY OPERATED AUTOMATIC WINDING DEVICEFiled Jan 30. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l WIIIIIIIIIIMIIHIU mwllllllllllllltlmH lllllllIlii IllllllllnIIIIHIIIMQIIIII! INVENTOR flyi flgw ByAltorneys,

1,624,301 Aprll 12, M. YOKOYAMA ELECTRICALLY OPERATED AUTOMATIC WINDINGDEVICE Filed 'Jan. so. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTUR By A tlorneys,

Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. f

ELEGTBICALLY-OPEBATED AUTOMATIC WINDING DEVICE.

Application filed January 80, 1928, Serial No. 85,060, and in Japan.TanuarySl, 1825.

This invention relates to improvements in winding apparatus for sprinmotors, and aims to provide a device whic may employ electric currentsupplied by a city line to maintain the spring motor continuouslyrunning, even though the current from the su ply line be temporarily cutoff.

he invention is particularly applicable to maintain continuous operationof clock mechanisms without the attendant danger .of faulty operationthereof due to the winding action of the clock spring by the electricmotor and the simultaneous unwinding action of said spring operating theclock.

The invention further aims to provide a clock winding up aratusin whichthe time at which the win ing operation commences can be chosen at will.

The invention also aims to provide a winding apparatus which'can beadapted to any type 0 clocks already in existence, by simply applyingthe apparatus on to' the barrel arbor. I

The invention is also applicable to large clocks of a specialconstruction, such as gravity-operated ones, also to winding of electrictime-switches, to scientific machinery for replenishin power thereof, inwhich a reciprocal oscilfiiting motions are caused to 1 3 take place ata definite period, and to winding phonographs and to other similarpurposes.

In the drawing annexed herewith, Figure 1 represents a front "view of aclock mechanism provided with the winding device according to thisinvention.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a lan view partly in cross section of the di erentialtransmission gear connected with the primary slip ring.

Figure 4 is a transverse section thereof taken on the line 4-4 of Fig.3. V

Figures 5 to 8 represent various positions of the two co-operating sliprings.

Now referring more particularly to the characters and numerals on thedrawing, 1 is a barrel for housing the main spring for storing themotive power and driving the clock mechanism W (diagrammaticallyrepresented on the drawing). The inner end of this springis fixed to thearbor A, and its outer end to the inner side of the barrel 1, as usual.This spring, on one hand, is wound up by an electric motor 6, say oncein every 24 hours, through the speed reducmg gears 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and18, and, on the other hand, drives the clock mechanism W through thegears 2 and 3, the first named gear 2 being rigidly attached to thebarrel 1. The gear 2 also drives continuously and slowly, by theunwinding of the main spring, the primary slip rin 15, in the directionshown by the arrow through the gears 12 and 13 and the differentialtransmission (gear D, which will be more fully explaine hereinafter. Inthis wise, the primary slip ring 15 is driven continuously, performingone complete revolution in 48 ours, or one half revolution in every 24hours.

When the motor 6 is rotated, as ex lained below, the ear 18 which ismounte upon the arbor will be driven. The rotation of this gear istransmitted to the gear 19, and then' to the shaft 20. The rotation ofthis shaft will cause, at one hand, the secondary slip ring 16 to rotatein the direction shown by the arrow E and, at the other hand, causesimultaneous rotation of the primary slip ring 15 in the direction ofthe arrow E through the intermediate gears 22, 23, 24 and thedifferential gear D.

By means of this gearing D, the primary slip ring 15 is connected at oneside with the clockoperating main spring and at the other side with thewinding motor 6, the whole caring of transmission being housed in a cyindrical casing constituting the primary slip ring 15.

As the mainspring unwinds, it drives on one hand the clock mechanism Wand on the other hand drives slowly and continuously the sun wheel 14through the pinions 12 and 13. The pinion 13 is rigidly mountedupon thehub of the sun Wheel 14 and the cylindrical drum 15 constituting theprimary slip ring is freely rotatable upon the hub of the sun wheel 14.On the other.

side of the drum, the motion of the motor 6 is transmitted, through theintermediate gears 23 and 24, to another sun wheel 17, which is rigidwith the pinion 24 and is provided on the other side in the interior ofthe drum 15. The drum. 15 is also loosely mounted upon the hub of thissum wheel 17. Two sun Wheels 14 and 17 gear with two sets of planetwheels 27, 28 and 29, 30, rotatably rovided u on the shafts mounted onthe'side walls 0 the drum and symmetrically situated so as to balancethe torsional moments. I a a By a suitable proportioning of the sizes ofthe gears 22, 23 and 24, the secondary slip ring 16 may be made tocomplete one revolution while the primary slip ring 15 completes onehalf revolution. The length of time required for the winding up of themain spring, which operation may conveniently be performed by theelectric motor 6 once in 24 hours, does not exceed a few minutes at themost, although it may vary according to the type of the clock mechanism.The primary slip ring 15 which is slowly driven by the unwinding of themain spring, so as to complete one revolution in very 48 hours, isconstituted of the metallic portion 15 and the insulating portion 15*,each covering one half circumference. Exactly speaking, however, thelength of the metallic portion 15 should be short of 180 degrees by thewidth of the slidingbrushes 25, 25. The secondaryslip ring 16, which isrotated only when the motor 6 is operated consists of a broad metallicportion 16 extending nearly the whole of the circumference and a narrowinsulating portion 16 Theoretically, the insulating portion 16 may be ofa length barely sufficient to insulate the two brushes 26, 26 from eachother, but should better be made broader, to a certain extent, inconsideration of the plays of the gearings. The brushes 25, 25, and 26,26 should be arranged so as to lie in the axial direction of therespective slip rings.

In this device, the motion due to the unwinding of the main spring istransmitted to the sun wheel 14, which motion is transmitted to theplanet wheels 27, 28 and 29, 30. When these planet wheels tend to rotateupon their respective axes, they are prevented from doing so by reasonof the other sun wheel 17 possessing a large resistance, to be drivenfrom this side, due to a train of gearings connected thereto.Conseuently, the drum 15 consituting the primary sip ring will rotate asa whole round the sun-wheels at one half speed, together with the planetwheels. When the brushes 25, 25 are electrically connected by comingintocontact with the metallic portion 15*, the motor 6 will start and willdrive the drum 15 by'means of the other sun wheel 17. In this instance,the speed of the drum 15 will be equal to the difference between thespeeds caused from the two opposite sides. On account of the fact thatthe speed of the drum due to unwinding of the spring is negligible incomparison with that due to the rotation of the motor, the speed of thedrum 15 is practically equal to one half of that of the sun wheel 17.

In case the diameters of the two sun wheels are equal and also those ofthe planet wheels are mutually equal, one revolution of any one of thesun wheels is transmitted as half a' revolution'of the drum 15. However,any

primary slip ring 15 caused by the unwinding of the spring need notnecessarily be same as that due to the operation of the winding motor. 7

When the primary slip ring 15 is rotated slowly in the directionindicated by the ar row E due to gradual unwinding of the main spring asthe time goes on, and when the pair of brushes 2'5, 25 fall on themetallic portion 15 (position of Figure 5), these brushes will beelectrically connected and the circuit of the electric motor 6 willbecompleted at this point, as clearly shown in Figure 5. Thus the motorwill be driven by the power derived from the source of electricity, forexample, city power lines. When the motor is started, both the sliprings 15 and 16 revolve rapidly in the direction shown by the arrows,and come to the positions shown in Figure 6. In this position, bothpairs of brushes 25, 25 and 26, 26 fall on the respective insulatingportions, and the circuit of the electric motor being broken, the motorcomes to rest. In this manner, the main spring is wound up for 24 hours.The secondary slip ring 16 comes to the same initial position, and willnot be driven by the motor 6 unless after the lapse of 24 hours, when,the primary slip ring 15 again comes to the position shown in Figure 5.

Now, suppose that, when the slowly and constantly revolving slip ring 15came to the position shown in Figure 5, there was an interruption in thesupply of power in the city main, the motor will not start even thoughits circuit he completed at the brushes 25, 25. Therefore, the secondaryslip ring 16 will not be driven. But the primary slip ring 15 willcontinue its usual slow rotation as far as the main spring has itsstored energy in reserve. When the interruption of the power supplyceases, say, after four continuous hours, the primary slip rin will haverotated one-twelfth of a revo ution and will be at a position shown inFigure '7. In this position, the brushes 25, 25 will still lie on themetallic portion and will be electrically connected, so that the motor 6re-assumes its rotation, driving the two slip rings simultaneously.\Vhen the first slip ring 15 has rotated 2 of its circumference, thebrushes 25, 25 slide off the metallic portionand fall on the insulatingportion 15*. However, the brushes'26, 26 on the secondary slip ring.being still on the metallic portion thereof, both of the slip rings willcontinue their rotations and will come to rest onl after the primaryslip ring has rotated egrees and ratio of the speeds may be hbtained. bya manner, the mam spring is wound for complete 24 hours. This positionis shown in igure 8. In this instance, the primary slip ring is in aposition advanced b 4 hours. However, the brushes 25, 25 wil come tocontact with the metallic portion 15 as early as after 20 hours, orafter a duration of time of 24 hours less by the interval of time ofinterruption of power, when, the slip rings come to the position ofFigure 5, and the Whole system will be brought back to the initialregular positions.

In the above, it has been assumed that the main spring is wound once inevery 24 hours, but this period is arbitraryand can be varied at will'bya suitable choice of the sizes of the earings. Also, the reserve ofpower preetermined for the capacity of the main spring can be assignedat will.

In each instance above mentioned, the time of commencement of thewinding operation may be varied at will by simply adjusting the mountingof the slip rings, on the respective spindles.

What I claim is:

1. A winding device for a spring motor operable by an electric motor,comprising a differential gearing, the housing of which is provided withelectrical conducting and insulating portions, an electric motor,brushes I engaging said housing adapted to close the circuit t rough theelectric motor, and said differential gearing being mechanicallyconnected to both the spring motor and the electric motor.

2. A winding device for a spring motor operable by an electric motor,comprising a differential gearing, the housing of which is provided withelectrical conducting and insulating portions, an electric motor,brushes engaging said housing adapted to close the circuit through theelectric motor, and said differential gearing comprising a planetarygear train having two sun wheels, one of which is connected to the sprinmotor, and the other connected to the e ectric motor.

3. A winding device for a spring motor operable by an electric motor,comprising a differentia gearing, the housin of which is provided withelectrical con' ucting and insulating portions, an electric motor,brushes engaging said housing adapted to close the circuit through theelectric motor, and said differential gearing comprising a planetarygear train havin two sun wheels, each of which has a pairof p anetwheels situated and maintained upon shafts within the housing, theplanet wheels of the respective sun w eels being in meshing engagement,one of said sun wheels being connected to the spring motor, and theother to the electric motor.

4. A winding device for a spring motor operable by an electric motor,comprising a differential gearing, the housing of which IS provided withelectrical conducting and insulating portions, an electric motor,brushes enga ing said housing adapted to close the circuit through theelectric motor, and said differential gearing being mechanicallyconnected to both the spring motor and the electric motor in such mannerthat motion communicated to one side of the differential by the springmotor is not communicated to the other side of the differential, andvice versa.

5. A winding device for a spring motor operable by an electric motor,comprising a pair of slip rings each provided with e ectrical conductingand insulating portions, an electric motor, and a pair of brushesengaging each slip ring adapted to close the circuit through theelectric motor, said pairs of brushes being connected to the electricmotor in parallel.

6. A winding device for a spring motor operable by an electric motor,com rising a pair of slip rings each provided wit electrical conductingand insulatin portions, an electric motor, and a pair of rushes engagingeach slip ring adapted to close the circuit through the electric motor,said pairs of brushes being connected to the electric motor in parallel,the conducting and insulating portions of oneslip ring beingsubstantially of equal lengths, the insulating portion of the other slipring being of barely sufiicient length to provide an open circuit forthe pair of brushes in contact with said slip ring.

7. A winding device for a spring motor operable by an electric motor,comprising a pair of slip rings each provided with electrical conductingand insulating portions, an electric motor, and a pair of brushesengaging each slip ring adapted to close the circuit through theelectric motor, said pairs of brushes being connected to the electricmotor in parallel, gearing connections between said electric motor andboth slip rings, between said electric motor and said spring motor, andbetween said spring motor and one of the slip rings, said gearingbeingsuch that upon the short-circuiting of a pair of brushes by theconducting portion, of the first slip ring, the motor will operate torotate both slip rings until the insulated portions thereon come intocontact with their res ective pairs of brushes.

n testimony whereof I aflix 'my signature.

MASAJ I YOKOYAMA.

